Cartoon Promotes Recess Week

9/18/2006 6:30 AM Eastern

By: By Christian Lewis

Continuing to promote its Get Animated healthy-lifestyle program, Cartoon Network linked up with the National Parent Teachers Association, the Center for Disease Control and the National Education Association, among others, to launch National Recess Week, which promotes the benefits of daily recess for children.

The effort -- part of the network’s national Rescuing Recessprogram -- kicks off Sept. 18-22 with a recess rally at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School in Atlanta.

“After addressing two critical recess issues earlier this spring -- state policies and grant funding for equipment -- Rescuing Recess, through these National Recess Week rallies, will now focus on recruiting parents and community members to serve as volunteer recess monitors, which helps to ensure that children have unstructured playtime throughout their day,” Cartoon executive vice president and general manager Jim Samples said in a prepared statement.

Cartoon animators also created a new episode of original animated series Codename: Kids Next Door, entitled Operation R.E.C.E.S.S. The episode will be available for online viewing on the network’s Web site (www.cartoonnetwork.com) starting Tuesday. It will air on the linear network Friday at 7:30 p.m.